This week, at an business event, I was talking with a friend at the bar. I had just ordered a Coke and was enjoying the conversation when the bartender set down my soda. As a helpful gesture, my friend went to grab the drink to move it closer to me. Harmless enough, right? Well, imagine my horror when she grabbed the drink by the top of the glass!
For those of you who have no problems buying food off the street from unknown sources or never think about how many sniffly, sneezy, sickies have held the stylist that you use to sign your name for credit card purchases, you probably have no idea what my issue is. For the rest of you, you know where I'm headed.
My friend's fingers touched the rim of the glass. The same rim where my lips go to sip on the drink!
Granted, I'm aware that 99.9% of the public wouldn't even notice this, but I did. And, I'm pretty sure my face scrunched up when I saw it happen. I did hold back the shriek, though.
So, here's my etiquette tip of the day:
If you touch someone's drink, always grab the glass at the bottom. Never the top. Never.
Granted, this probably isn't even on the radar of most people, but aside from being sanitary, it's just good manners. Now, I suspect no one will ever pass me a drink from this point forward, but that's alright with me. The fewer cooties, the better.
Want to meet me at the next networking mixer? You'll know me when you see me. I'm the gal with the long red hair and the gallon jug of hand sanitizer.
Yes~! They teach this to the waitstaff~!! This is akin to the waiter who grabs the edge of the soup bowl, dunking his thumb into your lunch~!! YIKES~!! It's much more difficult to deal with when it's a friend, though. It's very hard to find the tactful words to correct someone you care about. *sighs*
ReplyDeleteAnita Nelson @ModelSupplies
I totally agree with you Amber! People should be careful where and what they touch. CC are VERY dirty as well, not just money. Love this post Thanks! :)
ReplyDeleteAnita: Yes! So true. I know it's not something that most people think about and they'd be shocked if you said something. Next time I'll be faster in grabbing my own drink! :->
ReplyDeleteKim: Thank you for visiting my blog and for taking a moment to comment. You rock! Yes, credit cards, pens, door handles. All cootie magnets! Anything communal. It's germ warfare out there, baby!
Nice post. I'll have to remember this when you come to our networking event and if I offer you a beverage as our distinguished panelist.
ReplyDeleteOn a similar note, we recently had a family dinner at Bob's Big Boy in Torrance (my kids love it there) and the waitress reached over and touched my salad as she was refilling my water glass. I tried not to make a big deal about it but I had a similar thought about "cooties". Glad I'm not alone.
Yikes! That's certainly not something you think about... when I think about germs and networking, it's the person who sneezes into his hand and then offers it for a shake. I usually say, "I'm actually feeling a bit under the weather and I'm not shaking hands." Most people understand and are grateful!
ReplyDeleteDerek: Regular people can claim ignorance, but wait staff should certainly know better. Yuck! As for being on your panel, I can't wait. Thanks again for the invitation! I'll work on the "distinguished" part before I show up for the event ;->
ReplyDeleteAmanda: I like your technique! I'll remember that line in the future. Thanks for contributing to our germy little dialogue!
Maybe it is because my mother was an RN, but I was taught that it was just good manners to not touch anything that you or another person was going to put into their mouths. I have the same reaction to someone handing me a piece of silverware by the tines or bowl or blade. YUCK! I suppose at a bar, you could ask for a vodka soaked napkin to wipe down the germy spot? BTW, I love your use of the alphabet!
ReplyDeleteCatPurry: Thank you for your wonderful comment! Someone touched the tines? What IS this world coming to???
ReplyDeleteI actually had to use a shared pen today to sign something (I didn't have a pen in my purse). Two minutes later I see the guy at the counter with that pen in his MOUTH! Undoubtedly it had been in his mouth BEFORE I used it and then he stuck it in his mouth AFTER all of us used it, as well. YUCK, YUCK, YUCK!
Thanks again for connecting! I look forward to hearing your thoughts on future topics ;->
I would have noticed too! I was watching a tv show where they were interviewing people about their restaurants. This guy was standing over the grill cooking. He turns to the camera and starts talking, wipes his nose, then picks up pastry from a pan. Ick!!
ReplyDeleteAnali: Yuck with a capital Y! Your example is really what it boils down to. People do NOT think about what they're doing. Yuck, yuck, yuck!
ReplyDeleteThanks for stopping by and commenting. Nice folks like you make me feel like less of a germaphobe.
Haha, wow! You know what I never even thought of this before but you're so right. I always pass drinks to others and I'm pretty sure it's from the bottom because why would I want to touch where their lips have been or going to be? Thanks for the reminder! :)
ReplyDeleteI know it's such a mindless thing. I mean, most people just move the glass without really thinking about it. If it's a server, however, he/she should absolutely know better!
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